A VJ is a performance artist who creates moving visual art (often video) on large displays or screens, often at events such as concerts, nightclubs and music festivals, and usually in conjunction with other performance art. But to become an excellent VJ you should begin with the following steps.

Steps

1

- Start a clip library. Use copyright free or creative commons licensed footage. Or shoot your own. Don't rely on the usual libraries made for Vjs- they are way too common and can be seen in any nightclub.

2

- Find your niche. What is your favorite music? It helps if it is anything outside the pop/top 40 realm. Where are the clubs that play this music? Do they have someone doing visuals? If they don't, put together some clips and offer to show someone what you can do.

3

-Make business cards. Present yourself as a visual artist and always have your info ready to hand out. You can get them cheap or even free from places like Vista.

4

- Get a VJ program. A great free one is called VDMX. There is a learning curve- DO NOT wait the day of the show to learn to use it. And don't pretend that you can learn to use it if you don't have a projector. Learning to throw the image onto the large screen is different for every program and computer. This in and of itself can take a lot of time. SO give yourself a lot of room to breathe and a few days to learn to use the program. When you figure things out, write them down. And bring them with you to the show.

5

- This should be obvious, but you need to have equipment. I would recommend a laptop with AT LEAST 2 GB RAM, your own projector, VGM cables, VGM adapters, and of course your VJ program.

6

- No matter how many clips you have, you will always, always need more. Aim for the thousands. Start a folder with subfolders according to type. You need to be able to access them and know what sort they are, because with a lot of clips your VJ program is just going to show you thumbnails. You won't be able to see what they are that way. Keep it organized.

7

ALWAYS do an equipment check before you leave your house. I have forgotten obvious things like my hard drive or my laptop power cord before. ALWAYS check.

8

Wherever you are going to be V.J.-ing at a club, show up before the patrons so that you can hook it all up, position the projector if necessary (a lot of clubs have their own) and make sure everything works. Don't be cocky and think everything will run smoothly if you just roll in 10 minutes before they open the doors to the public.

9

Don't rely on the same graphics that other V.J.'s have used. Dig for your clips. Edit them with a movie program. Do something original. Try customizable music visualizer like Bazik.

10

A good way to ingratiate yourself to any club you work for is to make a few clips with their logos in them, or at least the name of the club. People really appreciate that.

11

If you just bring some movies to screen from your hard drive, that is NOT VJing. VJs do more work than DJs. They mix the visuals throughout the song, not just in between the songs. And its all improv. To earn the title, do the work. Practice while listening to live mixes from different DJs.